Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cer . respondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP . To tlie Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAU SIR AND BROTHER , —No ono nho rearls tho letter of yonr correspondent "AUDAX , " will havo the slightest difficulty in arriving at tbo conclusion thafc his description of himself is perfectly accurate . His " perception" has become remarkably "dim— "if indeed it wero over otherwise—and his " powers of reasoning "—assuming

him over to havo been blessed with any—nro unaffectedly "dull . " However , I did not write my former letter for tho benefit of stupid people , of whom " AUDAX" avows himself to bo one . Had I done so , I should have committed myself to tho well-nigh hopeless task of explaining to them at freqnont intervals during ft long term of years that there is nothing incongruous in allowing thafc a mnn may be

a thoroughly good fellow , and yet a most unsuitable candidate for a post of honour ; or in asserting that tho fact of his having rendered services such as thousands of his equals in rank have likewise rendered ! is ™ no justification for his being preferred to them . Had "AUDAX" not been so extremely dull of comprehension he would have known this without any need of being prompted by others .

I thank " AUDAX" for his account of Bro . Willing ' s services , as quoted from the Freemason . But he might have saved himself the trouble of quoting it—at least as far as T am concerned . Ifc was from that I derived my knowledge of Bro . Willing ' s performances in Masonry , and ifc was on thafc I based my argument as to his completennworthiness as a candidate for the office of Grand Treasurer .

It is only one of the class of people to which " AUDAX" tolls us he belongs who would havo had the hardihood to twist ray acceptance of other people ' s statements about Bro . Willing ' s services into "fulsome flattery " of that brother . I havo no intention of embarking on a war of words with " AUDAX . " lie is an expert in abusive personality ; I am not . I remain faithfully and fraternally yours , " SYMBOL » . "

To the Editor of the FREE . MASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Having opened your columns to a discussion on tho merits of candidates for the office of Grand Treasurer , I hope yon will allow me a portion of your space to express what I feel on tho snbject ; but in tho first case I must say I cannot congratulate the writer of the letter signed " S YMBOL X " which appeared in

your issue of the 13 th instant , either on his good taste or , as it seems to me , his knowledge of the subject . It is of course to be regretted that in all such matters as this no reference to a candidate or tho office is possible without making the matter at once of a personal character . I may desire to argue for or against the present system of appointing the Grand Treasurer , but I find it impossible to say

anything to the point without its being applicable either to ono who has held the office , or one who seeks it , and therefore I find myself called upon to mention this or that brother by name , for I think when one runs so near the mark it is besfc to bifc the mark itself . Having explained why I mention names , in opposition to my actual desire to keep individuals out of the discussion , I will first give

you my ideas as to Bro . Willing ' s position . Now , I look upon Bro . Willing in two capacities—firstly , as an individual Mason , and in that respect only equal to his fellows ; and secondly , as the chosen representative of a band of "individual Masons , " and thereby raised to ; tn eminence above all who choose to recognise him as their superior . " STimor , x" says he "is a very worthy member of the rank and

lilo of Freemasonry , " but " above and beyond this has not the slighest shadow of a shade of claim to bo placed on an eminence above his brother members of the same standing in Grand Lodge . " Your correspondent , Sir , must be ignorant of the ordinary routine of election by tho voice of the people . To say that a man has no right to be placed on an eminence when it is only by right

that he can bo placed thero isannbsurdifcy . How can any one—let who may be chosen as Grand Treasurer—get the position except by right . Does " SYMBOL X " want us to believe thafc the majority who must elect a man do not know their own minds , or is it the old story of tho fox who voted "brashes" a nuisance ? Is it that the minority are opposed to Bro . Willing , bnfc know that he is sure to get

the post unless thoy can create ill-feeling—by the way , ill-feeling would , in my opinion , do more good for the particular candidate in question than it would do him harm , as many who would absent themselves , looking upon his return as all but certain , wonld then attend and swell the majority . There is no use denying tho fact our Freemasonry of to-day is

divided into two classes , and ifc is nest to high treason for an ordinary member of Blue Masonry to aspire to the Pnrple , unless it be to tho office of Grand Pursuivant , , which for some reason or other appears to he outside the upper section , although there can be no question that by the teachings of the Craft it is equal to the best of them . Now I imagine that "SYMisor , " is none other than ono of

the—may I say dog in tho manger class—of the upper section . No ilonbfc , now that the duties of Grand Treasurer are merely nominal ones , he would consider himself insulted if ha were named for the post , and yet he objects to receive one of the rank aud file—aye , and in this case a widely respected one—into his class or section of tho Order . It will indued be a diiliuult matter to find men atioye

Correspondence.

their fellows if respect and esteem is to be left out of consideration . I fancy Bro . Willing has enough of these latter to secure hia election , and if he succeeds on those bases alone , I shall consider he ia justly entitled to tho office of Treasurer . It is an elective one , and he who gets the most support mnst , for the time being , be looked npon as tho best fitted for it .

I am , & c . ONE WHO WILL READILY ACCEPT THE RESULT OF THE BALLOT .

( MASONIC MENDICANCY . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAU SIR AND BROTHER , —I hava read your remarks , and also thoso of yonr correspondents as to indigent brethren , and to the unworthiness of some of them . We are , however , apt to forget that many may be worthy ; also to forget onr initiation service . I think ifc is better to succour some unworthy ones rather than risk missing one worthy . But there are doings that take place in Lodges ,

itc , I consider moro to bo deprecated than urging the claims of the poverty stricken or distressed . I refer to the practice of members who are in business touting and asking newly-initiated brethren for their orders for aprons , & c , or other regalia . There is too much of thia done . The qniet insinuation that these men adopt when saying , " I usually supply the brethren , " often misleads . Some make more profit in this manner than Masonry costs them annually . In my opinion the Tyler onght to have the first chance of supplying snob

necessaries . Yours , & o . P . M .

Naebody Kens Ye.

NAEBODY KENS YE .

Are ye doin' ought weel P—are ye thrivin , my man ? Be thankf n' to Fortune for a' thafc she sen's ye : Ye'Il hae plenty o' frien's aye to offer their ban ' ,

When ye needna their countenance—a' body kena ye j A' body kens ye , A' body kens ye , When ye needna tbeir countenance—a' body kens ye !

! Bnfc wait ye a wee , till tho tide tak ' s a turn ; An' awa wi' the ebb drifts the favours sho sen ' s ye , Cauld friendship will then leave ye lanely to mourn , When ye need a' their friendship , then naebody kens ye ! Naebody kena ye ! & o .

The crony who stuck like a burr to your side , An' vovv'd wi' his heart ' s dearest blnid to befrien' ye , A five-gninea note , man , will part ye as wide As if oceans and deserts wore lyin' between ye ! Naebody kens ye , & c .

££% It ' s the siller thafc does 'I , man ! the siller ! the siller ! It's the siller that breaks ye , an makes ye , and men ' s ye ! When your pockets are torn , an' nae web i' tbe loom Then tak' ye my word for't , there ' s naebody kens ye ! Naebody kens ye , & o .

But thinkna I mean thafc a mankind are sae—It's the butterfly frien' thafc misfortune shonld fear aye ; There are thoso worth the name—gude sen' there w » "p tune ! Wha the caulder tho blast the closer draw near ye . Naebody kens ye , & o .

The frieu's who can tell us , our fau'ts to our face , But aye fra our foes in our absence defen's us ; Leeze me on sic hearts ! o' life ' s pack he ' s the ace Wha scorns to disown us when naebody kens us ! CHORUS .

Naebody kens us , naebody kens us , Poortifch ' s a dry nurse frae folly whiik speans us—She deprives us of o' means , just to show us our fren's , Wha winna disown us when naebody kens us .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . JAMES NORRIS . The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at Croydon has lost its most prominent resident , in the person of Bro . James Nora ' s , for many years the Warden of the Asylum , and ho will henceforth be missed by many of those who have looked forward to a chat with the worthy old brother

as a part of the " routine " of a visit lo the truly Masonic bnilding in which he has long resided . Bro . Norris was born on the 21 st January 1790 , and initiated into Erecmaionry in tho Sincerity Lodge , No . 174 , on the 10 th March 1812 , and continued a member till June 1816 . In

July 1848 he joined the Yarborough Lodge , No . 554 , and continued a member till December 1851 , when he re-joined his mother Lodge , and remained a subscribing member till some timo after May 1862 , when he was elected an annuitant . He way appointed Warden in 1868 .